Ratchet tool



J. C. BLIEVNIEYI BATCHET TOOL. APPLICATION FILED IuLv 28, I92I.

Patented Nov. 28, 19212.,

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original application ined :eine 27, i921 To al?, LU/0m it may concern:

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, Serial No. 440,382. Divided and this application filed July 28,

1921. Serial No. 488,079.`

Jorrn C. Biinvnnr,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Lawrence Fark,

Bronxville, `in the county oi l/Vestchester and State ot New York,

have invent provements hereby declare the clear, tion, the art to which it appeitains to make and being had to the use the same, reference ed certain new and useful lm and l. do following to be a full,

in Ratchet Tools;

and exact description ot the invensuch as will enable others skilled in accompanying dra-wings, and to characters ot reference marked thereon, which form a part ot this specilication.

This invention relates, generally, to iniprovements in hand tools; Aand the invention has reference, more particularly, to a novel construction of ratchet tool oit the The present invention has States in my lormer application for Letters-Patent, iiled June Ser. No. 440,382, and oi which tion is a division.

for its principal object to provide a novel construction ot ratchet mechanism and handle mounting therefor.

@ther objects oi the present invention, not at this time more rparticularly enumerated,-will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the same.

Vllitli the various objects o't my present invention in view, the saine consists, primarily, in the novelfconstruction of ratchet tool hereinafter set forth; and, the invention consists, furthermore,

r an gein ents ous de vices tails oi the construction oif ot which wi scribed,

in the novel ai and combinations olf the variand parts, as well as inthe dethe saine, all ll be hereinafter more vfully deand then finally embodied in the claims appended hereto.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

.is a 'iront elevation of the novel Figure l.

ratchet tool, made according to and einhodying the principles ot the present invention, Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same, talren on line` 22 in said Figure l; Figure 3 is a horizontal transverse section ot the saine, taken on line 3-3 in Figure 2; Figure l is another horizontal transverse section of the same, taken on line l1-ain Figure 2 and showing the ratchet mee hanism locked in neutral position; Figure 5 lsaid bearing portion 3. ln

is a view similar torthat e, but showing the ratchet mechanism set for right hand turning or driving of the tool with left hand release; while Figure '6 "is another similar view, 60 showing the ratchet mechanism setior left shown in y Figure vhand turning or driving oi the tool lwith right hand release; and Figure 7 is a detail vertical transverse section, taken on line 7-7 in said 'Figure 3.

i Figure 8 is a plan view of one of the housing` plates which carry the ratchet mechanism.

Figure 9 is a perspective view ot the ratchet pawl spring carrier and adjusting element.

Figure l0 is a perspective view of one of the ratchet pawls.

Similar characters of reference are employed'in all of the above described views to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring nowto said drawings, the ret'r erence character l indicates a tool handle, preferably made of cast metal, and` suitably cored to provide an interior chamber 2.` The lower end oi the said handle terminates in a bearing portion 3 of suitable length and provided with a central longitudinal opening providing an axial bearing l ior the shank of a tool to be operatively l associated with said handle. rhe wall of said handle is essentially provided with a rectangular lateral opening 5, which, or the purpose ot this description, may be said to be located in the .iront side oi' `said handle, and intermediate its upper end and the opposite or rear side oi said handle is located a vertical or longitudinal slot 6, the same being alined. with `and corresponding in length to the height oi said` opening 5.

^ rllhe reference characters 7 and. 8 respectively Vindicate upper and lower housing plates, which are punched out `oi sheet metal olE suitable gauge, and whicli are at the saine time provided with the desired peripheral shape and with properly located ln this respect the same are provided with tongues or lugs,

10 which pass through the slot 6, whereupon their free projecting ends are turned or riveted over yagainst the outer margins 0f the said slot, to thereby retain said housing plates .in vassen'ibled relation to the handle, and secured against outward` displacement or withdrawal through the opening Each housing Va central bearing opening l1; and forwardly spaced therefrom are a pair of laterally opposed ratchet-pawl trunnion bearing openings 12 of substantially triangular shape with their sides diverging toward their inner ends to provide for the desired play of said ratchet-pawls inV a mannerto be subsequently more fully described; and forwardly spaced from said bearing openings 12 is a centrally disposed laterally eX- tending slot 13 having a plurality of: keeper notches in its forward margin, to wit, a central or neutral keeper notch .14, a right hand ratchet drive keeper notch 15, and a left hand ratchet drive keeper notch 16, the purpose and operation of which in connection with other associated partsof the device, will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

llVhen assembled with the handle 1, said housing' plates and. 8 are disposed to extend horizontally through the interior chamber 2 thereof in vertically spaced relation, one above the other, and with their several openings, as above described respectively alined vertically.

Disposed between saidy housing plates 7 and 8, and rotatably supported thereby by means of its hubs or journals 1T which are respectively journaled in the bearing openings 11 of said housing plates, is a toothed ratchet wheel 18 having a central axial opening 19, preferably of polygonal cross sectional shape; said axial opening 19 being in substantial vertical longitudinal.y alinement with said opening Il; of the'bearing portion 3 of said handle.-

i The reference characters 2() and 21 respectively indicate a right hand drive ratchet pawl and a left hand drive ratchet pawl. Each ratchet pawl comprises a rectangular' punching of sheet metal provided with flat oppositely projecting trunnions 22 extending respectively from their upper and lower edges. The trunnions of said richt hand drive ratchet pawl, 20 are jour-- naled in the vertically alined bea-ring open ings 12 of said housing plates located to the right of said ratchet wheel 18; while the trunnions of said left hand drive ratchet pawl 21 are journaled in the vertically alined bearing openings 12 of said housing plates located to the left of said ratchet wheel 18. The outer vertical edges of the trunnions of the respective ratchet pawls are fulcrumed in the outer converging ends of said bearingopenings12, and by reason of the plate is provided with divergence of the sides of saidbearing openings 12 toward the inner ends thereof, it will be apparent that the inner ends of the ratchet pawls are free to oscillate, or, in other words, are free to move toward and away from the ratchet wheel 18. The substantially triangular shape or outline of the bearing openings 12 is properly sized to provide a sufficient d' fergence to accommodate the desired amount of increment or swing of the ratchet pawls, and at the saine time determines the limit of such movement. lVhen the ratchet pawls are swung inwardly theinner ends of the same enter the notches intermediate the teeth of the ratchet wheel 18 so as to operatively engage the latter.

The operation of the ratchet pawls are controlled by a pawl springmechanism. This pawl spring mechanism. comprises a perpendicular carrier pin 23 upon which is supported a pawl spring comprised of two oppositely and laterally extending branches or leaves, towit', the right-hand spring portion or leaf 24 and the left-hand spring portion or leaf 25, the one operatively engaging the ratchet pawl 20 and the other the ratchet pawl 2l. The intermediate portion of the spring is formed with a loop 26 adapted to extend around and embrace the carrier pin. In order to hold the spring in assembled andl secured relation to the carrier pin and also to cover and protect the same I provide a guard plate 27, which isprovided with-inwardly bowed upper and lower loops 2S and an intermediate or central loop 29 which extends around and embraces the loop 26 of the springas engaged with the carrier pin, while the loops 28 encircle the inner. sides of the latter above and below the spring, thus holding the spring against displacement.. The oppositely extending wings or ends of sait guard plate 27 extend over and. protect the respect-ive spring portions or leaves 24 and 25, but do not intcrfere with thc operative flexing of said spring portions or leaves when the same function.

The pawl spring mechanism thus constructed is mounted or supported by the housing plates 7 and 8 by entering the respective ends of said carrier pin 23 in the slots 13 of said respective housing idates, said carrier pin 23 being shiftable in the said slots for selective engagement with I pair of the keeper notches 14.-, .15 and 16 or said slots 13, according as it is required to dispose the pawl spring mechanism to produce the dcsired functioning of the ratchet-pawls relative to the ratchet` wheel..

The reference character 30 indicates a screw driver or other desired tool having a shank 31. The upper end portion of the shank 31 is provided with a ratchet wheel coupling portion 32 of a cross sectional shape corresponding to the cross sectional shape of u Q the axial opening 1 9. of. sa ratchet wheel,

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per extremity of said shank 31 is provided with a tapered head 33 beneath which is provided an annular keeper groove or channel 34. To operatively associate the tool with the handle 1 and its ratchet wheel 18, the shank 31 thereof .is inserted upwardly through the opening l of the bearing portion 3 until its coupling portion 82 enters through thc axial opening 19 of the ratchet wheel'18. ln order to retain the tool in associated and operative connection with the handle 1, there is provided a keeper spring device, the anchoring loop of which is engaged around the lugs 10 of the housing plates 7 and 8, so as to be positioned between the wall of said handle and shoulders 36 provided at the `iuncture of said lugs 10 with the main por tion of the said housing plates. Extending horizontally from said anchoring loop 35 are a pair of spring keeper arms 3T, which terminate in upwardly projecting linger pieces 38. As the tapered head 33 of the tool shank, when the latter is passed into engaged relation to said ratchet wheel, emerges from the upper end of the ratchet wheel, the same passes between said spring keeper arms 37 thereby spreading the same until they are sprung over said head so as to enter into said annular keeper groove or channel 311, whereupon said spring arms become engaged beneath said head thereby retaining said tool against remo 'al from the handle and its ratchet wheel.. When it is desired to remove said tool from the handle.I the operator merely inserts a finger between the linger pieces 3S (the walls of said handle opposite said finger pieces 38 being provided with a suitably formed admission opening 89 for such. purpose), whereupon the saine are spread apart and such spreading` movement is communicated to the spring keeper arms 3'? so that the same are removed from the keeper groove or channel 34C and. from under the head 33, so that the tool is thereby released for withdrawal from the handle and its ratchetl wheel.

Having thus described the detail construe tion of my invention ll will now briefly describe the manner of its adjustment and operation in use. First, if it is desired to lock the handle and tool together so that turning movements .of the 'former to either the right or left will be transmitted to the tool, the pawl spring mechanism is set in a so called neutral position that both ratchet pawls 20 and 2l. are engaged with the ratchet wheel. This arrangement of the parts is illustrated in Figures 1 to t inclusive and in Figure '7, and as an inspection of said Figures will disclose, the carrier pin 23 is disposed in the neutral keeper notch 14 or in normal central position whereby the pawl spring is centrally positioned so that. the

*from the neutral keeper notch spring leaf 24e engages the ratchet-pawl 2() at a point inwardly positioned relative toits fulcrum, and the spring leaf 25 engages the ratchetpawl 21 at a point inwardly positioned relative to the latters fulcrum, whereby the respective ratchetepawls are both inwardly swung to operatively and oppositely engage the ratchet wheel 18 whereby the handle is locked againstturningr indepeiulently of the ratchet-wheel and tool connected therewith in both directions, and consequently the tool may be turned by hand in either direction, viz. to the right or left.

Secondly.` if it is desired to so relate the handle to the tool that only a turning' movement of the former to the right will be transmitted to the tool, (as, for example, in driving a woodscrew,) while an independent turning movement of the handle to the left not transmitted to the tool is provided for, then the paid spring mechanism is set to operatively engage the right hand drive ratchet pawl 2O with the ratchet wheel 18, while at the same time releasing the left hand drive ratchet pawl 21 from operative engagement with said ratchet wheel. This arrangement of the parts is illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings, and is accomplished by pressing inwardly the guard-plate 2( and carrier pin 23 to release the latter 14, whereby the same may be shifted through the slots 18 into engagement with the keeper notches 15. This movement shifts the pawl spring laterally, so that while the spring leaf 24 Still engages the right hand. drive ratchet pawl 2() at a point inwardly positioned relative to its fulcrum, whereby the same is retained in operative engagement with the ratchet wheel 18, the other spring leaf 25 is'` shifted to engage the left hand drive ratchet-pawl 21 at a point outwardly positioned relative tothe latters fulcrum, whereby the pressure of the spring tends to rock the pawl on its fulcrnm to swing its inner operative end away from the ratchet wheel 18. It thus follows that a turning movement of the handle 1 to the right is transmitted through the right hand drive ratchet-pawl 20 to the ratchet wheel 18 and thence to the tool, while a turning movevment of the handle to the left fails to engage the outwardly held left hand drive ratchetpawl 2l with the ratchetuvheel` and conseu quently the latter and thc tool remains stationary, and the right "hand drive ratchet? pawl 20, being' yiel din gly pressed. inward by the spring` leaf 24, rides over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, until right hand turning movement of the handle is resumed,

Thirdly, if it is desired to so relate thel handle to the tool that only a turningmovement of the former to the left will be transmitted to the tool, (as, for example, in withdrawing a wood screw.) while an independent movement of the handle to the right is provided for, then the pawl spring mechanism is set to operatively engage the left hand drive ratchet pawl 21 with thel ratchet wheel 18, while at the same time releasing the right hand drive ratchet-pawl 2O from operative engagement with said ratchet wheel.

My novel construction olf ratchet mechanism may be made stronger and larger, than is usual in tools ot this character, by reason ot its lo 'ation within the coniparatively rooi'ny space of the hollow handle. Another advantage of the novel ratchet mechanism and means ifor mounting the same, lies in the fact that close and accurate machining' and iittingof the parts is unnecessary, since the housing plates may be loosely enough fitted within the handle to allow sumcient lateral play whereby the insertion into the handle ot the shanl oll the tool, even where the 4latter is not perfectly true axially, will engage and operatively connect the ratchet wheel therewith.

It will be understood that various kinds of shank tools or tool chuck shanls may be employed with the novel handle and ratchet mechanism, and that I do not limit myself to the screw driver tool shown in the drawings.

I am aware that some changes may be made in the arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parte, as well as in the details of the construction et the same, without departing from the scope oi my invention as set forth in the foregoing specification, and as defined in the appended claims. Hence, I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts as described in said speciiication, nor do I conine myself to the exact details ot the construction ot said parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

I claim l. In a ratchet tool, a ratchet wheel with which a tool is engaged, a pair ot opposed Hat pawls having flat trunnions intermediate their ends, bearing means ttor said pawls having substantially triangular bearing openings engaging said trunnions to lulcruin the latter on their outer vertical cdg and means tor holding said pawls in va ously adjusted pofntions for desired cooperation with said ratchet wheel.

L). In a ratchet tool, a hollow handle nieniber, a pair oli horizontal housing plates supported within said handle member one above the other, a ratchet wheel journaled between said housing` .platos adapted for connection with a tool member, a pair of opposed ratchet pawls having flat trunnions, said housing plates having substantially triangular bearing openings to receive said pawl trunnions whereby the outer edges of said trunnions are fulcrumed in the acute ends pawl spring of said bearing openings to permit the inner ends of said pawls to swing toward and away from said ratchet wheel, an adjustable pawl spring means supported by said housing plates, and said handlemember having a side opening .giving access to said pawl spring means to permit manipulation thereof.

3. In a ratchet tool, a hollow handle member, a pair of horizontal housing plates supported within said handle member one above the other, avratehet wheel journaled between said housing` plates adapted for connection with a tool member, a pair of opposed ratchet pawls having flat trunnions, said housing plates having` substantially tri angular bearing openings to receive said pawl trunnions whereby the outer edges ot' said trunnions are fulcrumed in the acute ends of said bearing openings to permit the inner ends of said pawls to swing toward and away from said ratchet wheel, a carrier pin, a pawl spring fixed to said carrier pin, said having oppositely extending spring` leaves respectively engageable with said ratchet pawls, said housing plates having slots in which .the ends ot' said carrier ypin are received, said slot having keeper notches selectively engageable by said carrier pin to hold said pawl spring in desired adjusted position, and said handle member having a side opening giving access to said pawl spring device to permit manipulation thereof.

t. In a ratchet tool, a hollow handle member having a side opening', a pair of horizontal housing plates adapted to be inserted through said side opening to position the saine within Said handle member one above the other, Vmeans for securing said housing plates to prevent withdrawal thereot', a ratchet wheel journaled between said housing plates adapted for connection with a tool member, and an adjustable ratchet pawl mechanism supported by said housing plates adjacent to said side opening oi.: said .handle member.

5. In a ratchet tool, a hollow handle member having a side opening, a pair of horizontal housing plates adapted to be inserted through said side opening to position the same within said handle member one above the other, means connected with the inner ends oit' said housing plates for riveting the saine to the wall ot said handle member opposite said side opening to prevent withdrawal thereof, a ratchet wheel journaled between Said housing plates adapted for connection with a tool member, a pair ot opposed ratchet pawls having flat trunnions, said housing plates having substantially triangular bearing openings to receive said pawl trunnions whereby the outer edges of said trunnions are fulcrumed in the acute ends of said bearing openings to ypermit the inner ends of said pawls to swing .toward or away from said ratchet wheel, an adjustable pawl spring means supported by said housing plates adjacent to said side opening oit said handle member.

6. ln a ratchet tool, a hollow handle member having a side opening, a pair of horizontal housing plates adapted to be inserted through said side opening to position the same within said handle member one above the other, means connected with the inner ends of said housing plates for riveting the same to the wall oit said handle member opposite said side opening to prevent withdrawal thereof, a ratchet wheel journaled between said housing plates adapted for connection with a tool member, a pair or' opposed ratchet pawls having flat trnnnions, said housing plates having substantially triangular bearing openings to receive said pawl trunnions whereby the outer edges of said trunnions are fulcrumed in the acute ends of said bearing openings to permit the inner ends of said pawls to swing toward or' away from said ratchet wheel, a carrier pin, a pawl spring having oppositely directed arms respectively engageable with said pawls, means securing said pawl spring to said carrier pin, said housing plates having slots in which the ends of said carrier pin are received, and said slot having keeper notches selectively enwageable by said carrier pin to hold said pawl spring in desired adjusted position, said pawl spring mechanism being located within said side opening of said handle member and accessible therethrough for manipulation.

In testimony that l claim the invention set forth above l have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of July, 1921.

JOHN C. BLEVNEY.

Witnesses:

GEORGE D. RIoHAnDs, MARION M. BANTA. 

